Can Maxx Crosby Slow Down the NFL's Hottest Offense? Derek Carr Brings Flying Saints Into Vegas
New Orleans arrives at Allegiant Stadium averaging 45.5 points per game, but Crosby's relentless motor poses their toughest protection test yet.
Key Story Takeaways
- New Orleans leads the entire NFL in scoring, averaging 45.5 points per game under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
- Raiders superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby has notched 3 sacks and 9 quarterback pressures already.
- Derek Carr returns to face his former Raiders franchise in Las Vegas for the first time.
- Consensus betting lines open with the Saints as 2.5-point road favorites with a 44.5 total.
LAS VEGAS — If someone told you before Week 1 that the New Orleans Saints would lead the National Football League with 91 points scored through two weeks, you would have laughed them out of the building.
Yet here we are. Klint Kubiak's wide-zone, play-action scheme has revived Derek Carr, unlocked Alvin Kamara, and made New Orleans the most dangerous scoring machine in football.
On Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, however, the Saints face the ultimate test of their offensive fireworks: Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Carr's Emotional Vegas Return
Adding fuel to Sunday's clash is Derek Carr's return to the desert. Carr spent nine seasons quarterbacking the Raiders before his unceremonious departure in 2023.
"Playing in Vegas against that front requires supreme communication," Saints head coach Dennis Allen stated. "Maxx Crosby can wreck a game plan in four snaps if you don't account for him on every single pass set."
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce promised a relentless, physical confrontation:
"We want our defense to be violent and suffocating. You have to earn every single blade of grass against this football team."
The Key Matchup: Right Tackle vs. Crosby
New Orleans rookie right tackle Taliese Fuaga and veteran right guard Cesar Ruiz have been rock-solid in pass protection. But Crosby is an entirely different beast who plays 100% of defensive snaps with a motor that never slows down. If the Saints can keep Carr clean on first-down bootlegs, their scoring streak will roll on.